A Soldier's Heart
by Dreamerbaybee55
Summary: Oneshot.AU. In the middle of World War II, Inuyasha was thrown into the battle of Dieppe. Taken as a prisoner, he meets an abused girl. Risking his life for his country is one thing, but is risking another worth it? Retold story. Citricy


A/N – Hey, I know I'm procrastinating from working on The Rat right now, but I really need to work out some plot holes in the story. So, I was just looking back at my old stories, and I thought I should edit this one. It's pretty much the same, but I actually did conclude about Miroku's watch. So enjoy this finished version =)

Back in High School a Canadian World War II Veterans came to visit my class. His experience inspired me, and I decided to write this in honor of his name – Joe Ryan.

P.S. – The romance part of this story is NOT from his tale, but my own ideas. And Joe Ryan's character will be played by no other than…drum rolls please…Inuyasha! By the way, Inuyasha will have the same image features in this story as the anime, except for the fact that he doesn't have his special dog-ears, and he's also human…with cool hair and eye colour. I'm sorry folks, but Inuyasha is officially human in this fiction.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's characters – Inuyasha and Ranma, and the real-life stories dictated from Joe Ryan. His dedication and contribution to the war will forever change where Canada stands…

**Beta-reader: DarkSacredJewelXoX**

**Mood music – While reading, listen to "A Good Day (Morning Song)" by Priscilla Ahn**

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* * *

****A Soldiers Heart**

**One-shot**

"Ranma! Ranma!" Akane called from down the school hall, chasing after her friend.

Ranma heard footsteps behind him beating against the floor at a hurried pace. When he turned around, Akane stopped in front of him.

She doubled over to catch her breath before telling him the news she just found out.

"Akane, what's up?"

"Ranma, I just found out that our first period class is cancelled so we could go to an in-class field trip," Akane explained, taking deep breaths in-between.

"Oh sweet! No science! But…an in-class field trip? What's going on?" he questioned glad about being able to skip science class with no harm done.

"Well, our history teachers managed to get a Canadian veteran to come and visit us for first period class. So technically it's a school trip because we don't have class, and at the same time we're at school. Apparently that's how it works. So come on already or else we're going to get bad seats!" Akane ushered, dragging Ranma by the arm and leading him towards the correct classroom.

* * *

"_Hmm…they're all so young, and so innocent. And they're all 18 years old. That was the age I got accepted to…" _

An old man's wandering thoughts were soon interrupted when the class teacher made an announcement. A wooden cane supported his frail figure, with his long white hair flowing under his green burette and his military crest shinning bright under the lights glare. His bright amber eyes continued to scan his surroundings, taking in all of the students faces and bringing back memories of his youth.

"Alright Mrs. Saya's class, settle down," the supervising teacher, Mr. Ricardo announced, calming the excited students, and bringing them to their seats.

"As most of you know, today we have a special guest with us. His name is…" His speech was interrupted when a door suddenly slammed open, followed by two angry voices.

"…It is your fault!" Akane shouted, trying to overpower Ranma. "Now we're already late."

"Why do you have to make it sound like it's such a big deal? Man, you are so un-cute," Ranma argued back, turning his back to her to end the conversation, but Akane was far from finished.

After forcefully punching him in the head, she screamed out, "IDIOT!"

"Ah hem."

The two abruptly turned their heads around to be faced with giggling students, and an angry teacher. Instantly their faces started blushing red at the embarrassment…and in the presence of a soldier. Not a great start to a new day.

"Ranma and Akane…why am I not surprised?" Mr. Ricardo said in an exasperated sigh. "I would make you stand outside in the hall right now, but we have a special guest today. So please take your seats…quietly."

Ranma and Akane bowed their heads, further embarrassed when they heard the snorts of laughter from the other students. Quickly and quietly, they both took their seats at the back of class.

Amber eyes continued to stare at the pair that just interrupted the teacher's speech. And he internally smirked to himself. _"Heh. Those two remind me so much of…"_

Once again, he was interrupted by the teacher's speech. "As I was saying before, the man who contributed to the War against Hitler in the Battle of Dieppe is Inuyasha Takahashi! Please give him a warm welcome, and try to be quiet and listen carefully. His voice isn't what it used to be."

A mild applause was heard soon after the teacher backed away to give Inuyasha room to speak. The desk was covered not with papers and pencils, but filled with pictures from the past; pictures of his friends who fought in the war, his family, and his loved ones.

When he began to speak, his voice was hoarse, like he was struck with a cold. But his voice was also very powerful. It did not hold a loud type of powerful, but the type of powerful voice that told others that he was in control. This powerful aura surrounded him so much that everyone went silent when he spoke.

"Thank you for the introduction, although you didn't have to remind them that I'm getting old." Inuyasha laughed a little. He expecting some sort of laughter coming from the students…well it was supposed to be a joke. _"Sheesh, tough crowd." _

He cleared his throat before he began to tell his never-ending story. One hand held steady over his wooden cane, while the other casually sat inside his pocket, giving him that "cool-guy" stance.

"Well I suppose I'll tell you first about when I joined the army…"

_Flash Back_

"Hey look! What's that over there?"

"Oh my goodness, Germany has declared war!"

"What? How did this happen?"

"Wait! Canada is looking for volunteer recruits to fight against Germany!"

"Oh no!"

"Alright! Sign me up! Someone's got to defend this country!"

"Yea! Me too!"

The streets of Toronto soon overflowed with people. These bodies filled with the emotion of either dread or happiness. Some men though, had this feeling of happiness…of sheer joy to finally fight against the Germans and defend Canada's individuality. Mothers instinctively kept their children inside and away from the mob down the road. The young voices pleaded to their mothers, asking if they could go see what was going on. It took most of their strength to calm their youngsters down and to convince them not go as they thanked the heavens that they're still young. They wouldn't have to realize what war really was.

One man, stood out above the rest. His white shinning hair contrasted the black in the centre of the commotion. He shoved his way through the crowd, trying to get to the source of everyone's excitement.

"Hey Inuyasha! Check this out!"

The man, who was known as Inuyasha, swiftly turned his head around and spotted his friend, Miroku, waving his hand above the crowd of people. Once again, he pushed his way through the crowd to meet up with his close friend. When he finally reached him, the people surrounding them suddenly squished them tightly together.

"Hey Miroku, what's up?" Inuyasha asked in his calm yet excited tone.

"Look at this." Miroku revealed his hand, which was clasped tightly onto propaganda that the police must have posted up. It showed a picture of a soldier standing on what looks like to be No-Man's Land_. _At the bottom of the picture, it said…"Come and defend for what you believe is right for our country!"Not a very catchy or fantastic slogan, but it seemed to intrigue the men around them. Many already left to sign up for the army at a station not too far away before they even notify their families.

_Are people really that excited to come face to face with life and death?_

"So what about it? The government is just asking for men to fight in the war, which is a stupid and pointless war to begin with," Inuyasha commented bluntly, shunning Miroku's excited look.

When Inuyasha saw his friends' look, he couldn't understand why he was so upset, so he just asked. "What's with the long face?"

"Well…don't you want to defend our country? I mean, our country's independence is at stake. Think of the women that'll be in danger!"

"Well, I don't have any _women_ to care about. My mother is dead…and the only other woman I ever loved besides her ran away with some other bastard. Kikyo's dead to me now." Inuyasha spoke in a monotone voice, as if his past was nothing more than a burnt journal entry.

"What about all those girls you always chase after?" Miroku questioned with a quirked brow, probably wishing he had the same influence over women as he did.

"They're nothing more to me than just entertainment for the night," he replied with a shrug.

"Oh," Miroku sighed. "That explains why you always end up with a new girlfriend every weekend."

Inuyasha smirked, his man ego glowing enormously. "So I'm assuming you want to join the war since you care for the women's well fare _sooo_ much."

"Well I may have had my fair share of women, but there's only one fascinating lady that I must protect. Which is why I _am _signing up whether you join me or not," he stated firmly.

"I see. That means things are going well between you and Sango?" He smirked.

"A lot better than you think," Miroku said in a dream-like tone. "We're planning on getting married…well; we _were_ planning on getting married. That is, until war broke out."

"Oh shut-up. Don't tell me you're in love with her? Is that why you want to go to war? To _protect_ her? You've got to be kidding me. Just go marry her, fuck her, then live on with you're life. Let the other crazy men fight this stupid war." By now, the crowd had dispersed. Inuyasha and Miroku were among the only few people left in the area.

Miroku was angry. Really angry. No one, and he meant _no one_, insulted Sango.

"Shut the fuck up!" he said heatedly, breathing hard. "Don't you dare speak so bluntly about Sango like that! She means a lot more to me than that. Sure, sometimesI can still be a little of a womanizer, but I _love_ her and I'll be damned if I don't protect her with my life!"

"Oh come on," Inuyasha continued, waving off his friends' angry state. "Don't tell me you actually believe in that lovecrap, do you? _Love is not real_. It's only a temporary infatuation. Later in life, the whole lovey-dovey shit will blow over and you'll find other women to faun over. Trust me…been there, done that. Love is just a fairy-tale desperate women like to dream about…and apparently you're starting to believe in that crap too."

"Inuyasha, you got to stop denying it…with Kikyo and everything else. I _know _you were in love once," Miroku said, understanding how his friend felt. "It just so happened that she had been a bitch to begin with. Trust me, if she had loved you back…you would have stayed."

Even though he just insulted how he felt about his love for Sango, he knew Inuyasha was still in a lot of pain. Proclaiming that love wasn't real was just another way to get Kikyo out of his mind.

"No Miroku. I'm really over Kikyo," Inuyasha said in an exasperated sigh. "What surprised me the most was that I got over her really quickly. Sure, I'm still mad that she left me, but it's not like I think about her day and night. If I could get over her in a week, I'm sure love wasn't there, but that's because it's not even real in the first place."

"Alright, what ever you say, but I'm still going to join this war. You sure you don't want in?" Miroku asked, with all the anger from earlier washing away into the seas. "With you're fighting skills, I'm sure you'll live through it. Could be fun for you anyways."

"Don't think so. It's a stupid war to begin with. I don't really want to get involved," Inuyasha replied, casually putting his hands into his pockets.

"Alright then, can't really force my friend to face danger with me."

There was a silent pause for a moment, before Miroku spoke again.

"Well I guess this is good-bye." Miroku gave his friend a handshake and then pulled him into a quick hug. This could be his last good-bye. Might as well make the best of it.

As Miroku turned around to walk back to his apartment, Inuyasha called out.

"Hey!"

Miroku looked over his shoulder, a look of hope hidden beneath the depth of his purple eyes.

"I'll see you when you come back!" Inuyasha shouted with a smirk.

That was all Miroku needed to hear: the last bit of encouragement Inuyasha could give him before he left.

_End Flash Back_

Inuyasha paused for a moment, taking a small break from the story to catch his breath. He just wasn't as fit as he was back then. As he looked around the room, the eyes of most of the children weren't bored anymore…good. Most of the guys of the class had bored looks on their faces, while some of the girls looked like they were close to tears. Women always knew the meaning of friendship. Well at least he's managed to capture the interest of a few students. A male student suddenly raised his hand to ask a question, and Inuyasha was more than happy to answer the curious boy.

"If you refused to join the war with your friend, then why are _you_ here telling us about what war-life was like?" The confused boy asked.

"Who said I never joined the war?" Inuyasha replied back with a cocky attitude.

Now the rest of the students had a confused look on their faces. A girl at the front suddenly spoke up.

"So what made you change your mind then?"

"Well I was just about to get to that part," Inuyasha said in an annoyed tone. "You see, I have an older brother and thanks to him, I was forced to join the war."

"How? How could your brother force you?"

"My brother was one of the major generals of the army."

Shock faces filled the room, followed by "ooohs" and "ahhhs", and some "whoa."

"Yep. He said something like it's an honor to have an older brother like him…because he's so up in of higher class and such. So since he was up there with the government, it meant I had to recognize this country as well, and by doing so, it meant to join the army and fight together." Inuyasha had a look of irritation on his face.

"I thought soldiers of war only fought because they wanted to help defend Canada. Not discourage it though. You don't seem to be one of those honorable veterans we all here about in history class. So why did they pick you exactly to tell us your life in battle?" The same kid from earlier questioned cockily once again.

Inuyasha was starting to get annoyed with this boy. He felt like being interrogated all over again. "Well kid, let me explain. Some men such as I didn't have a choice in the matter. Most of us just wanted to continue on with their lives; some like me were just lazy. Sure, I love Canada, but I just didn't want to risk my life over it's independence. It was just a silly war to begin with, and if Canada didn't have strong ties with Britain, our country wouldn't have been involved in the war in the first place. But nonetheless, I joined, and your school picked me to repeat this story because I'm the only one left alive right now to re-tell the tale of the Battle of Dieppe."

The boy instantly became quiet, but another young girl at the back of the class raised her hand to speak.

"Go on with the story sir. Tell us what happened at the training camp."

Inuyasha already liked this girl, whom he recognized to be Akane from earlier on today.

"Alright then. So of course, I ended up seeing Miroku again…"

_Flash Back_

"Miroku! I've been looking all over for you!" Inuyasha yelled, trying to get his friend's attention from the other side of the bunkers.

The room was filled with other trainees who signed up for the war. There were supposed to be about 10,000 men in the camp. This was only one of the few hundred bunkers at camp. Inuyasha was lucky to have his friend in the same room as him, or else he would have never had found him. Inuyasha was carrying his uniform, while only wearing his plain white uniformed shirt and camouflaged cargo pants with boots.

Miroku heard his name being called not too far away and he swiftly turned his head around, his black bangs slightly covering his eyes. That was when he spotted a blob of white shouting at him. "Whoa…no way!"

"Inuyasha!" Words couldn't describe how shocked Miroku was when he saw his best friend pushing bodies aside to make his way down the alley of bunkers. Okay maybe not that surprising, but still shocking enough to see his friend coming _here_.

Once Inuyasha reached his friend, they were both suddenly pulled each other into a tight hug. Miroku was really glad to have his friend join him in this war. Even if they're lives were at stake.

Inuyasha filled Miroku in on why he came here, both reacquainting with each other again because it has been a long journey to get here.

* * *

It's been two years…

Two long years in training and getting ready for a war the soldiers believed they wouldn't even be able to fight in. Why did the government have them sign up to join the war if they haven't even gotten the chance to fight yet? Of course they've been in training a lot, but they have still yet to see battle. Training is nothing compared to experiencing a real battle.

"Man, I signed up to be a soldier to fight in the war…not to peel potatoes!"

Inuyasha smirked at Miroku. The two of them were situated in front of a barrel full of un-peeled potatoes and an empty barrel that is supposed to be filled with peeled potatoes. Of course, the two managed to get in trouble with their lieutenant…again.

"I guess we went too far when we filled Lt. Keel's army boots with worms."

Inuyasha's lungs filled with laughter at the image of his lieutenant's face when he felt something move in his boots.

"True, but the look on his face was priceless!" Miroku began to laugh with Inuyasha, both enjoying the moment.

The two stopped talking for a bit as they continued to peel the potatoes, none too carefully as well. Chunks of potato were flying everywhere. A thought suddenly occurred to Inuyasha.

"Hey Miroku, you never did tell me what happened between you and Sango," Inuyasha said, not looking up from his peeling.

There was a slight pause before Miroku spoke in a quiet voice, "We're still planning on getting married…except…she doesn't know I'm here."

"What?!" Inuyasha's full attention was now on his friend. How could he not tell his fiancée that he left for a war?

"Don't' get me wrong, it's not like I just suddenly left home. I just told a little white lie…saying that I was going to Singapore for a few months."

"How is telling her you're going to Singapore when in reality you're going to a fucking war a white lie!" Inuyasha yelled, putting a halt to their kitchen duty.

"I know Inuyasha, calm yourself, but you see that's not the worst part."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his friend. What could be worse? He stayed quiet to urge for him to go on and explain.

"I haven't had contact with her since. I don't know what's going on in Canada right now…and I only told her that I'd be leaving for a few months, but it has already been two years. What if she thinks that I left her? What will happen if I go back and she's gone and left, not even bothering to wait for me?"

Miroku suddenly broke down on the dirty floor. Feeling so insecure with his relationship with Sango. No contact for two years before marriage, in the middle of a war, and not knowing what is going on with his country really tore him down.

Inuyasha was at a loss of words. _"He really does care about her. Now I really wonder if such love really does exist." _

Inuyasha could do nothing more but simply provide alleviation for his friend with assuring words of comfort. Right now there was nothing more he could do.

* * *

The waters were suspiciously calm. It was really loud out here, especially from the humming of the boats motor. The men around him all had their 'game face' on, although if you look straight into their eyes you could see the fear them. The air was freezing cold too, sending shivers down his spine. Miroku seemed quite still beside him, his eyes not moving but staring just straight ahead of him…into the mist.

It was their first battle.

The government planned a surprise attack in Dieppe, to drive the German's away and out of France. It was supposed to be a trick on the Germans, to make them think that this was going to be the big battle and not the one planned ahead for the future.

So here they all were, inside a rocky boat with their uniforms on and their rifles ready for the attack.

Inuyasha was concentrating really hard on his plan of attack, and most importantly, how he was going to survive this battle. He lost his concentration when he heard, no, smelled someone hurl their last supper to the side of the boat.

"Oh come on man, get it together!" Inuyasha heard his lieutenant yell.

If this is going to be a surprised attack, shouldn't their approach be a lot quieter?

Someone tapped on Inuyasha's shoulder, and he casually turned to his left to see Miroku staring at him seriously.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked.

"I want you to promise me something…" He started.

Inuyasha simply nodded in agreement, after all, best friends are always there for each other. Today was no different.

"Promise me, that if I were to die today…that you will take my watch and return it to Sango," Miroku said solemnly, staring into Inuyasha's amber eyes.

"Miroku…" What else could Inuyasha say? His friend was basically saying that he's prepared for his death and is leaving the will up to him.

"Please Inuyasha, I want you to do it for me, so Sango will know that I'm in a better place, and that I didn't just leave her. Just let her know I love her."

Inuyasha sighed. He knew he had no way out of this. Even though he was against the idea of having his friend so prepared for death, he might as well make the best out of the remaining time left together.

"As long as you give my watch to Sesshomaru if I die, I'll do the same for you," Inuyasha replied with a smirk.

Miroku laughed at his friend. "Deal, but I thought you hated your brother?"

"I do, but giving him the watch would make him feel guilty for even sending me to my death."

Their laughter echoed to the other boats, which gave each soldier a little ray of hope that they could get through this. Little smiles began to creep onto their faces.

But happy moments didn't always last forever…

Inuyasha, Miroku, and the others suddenly became deathly silent. They heard a loud noise, that sounded like a sewing machine going haywire…it was a machine gun. Loud cries of pain could be heard ahead in the front line boats.

Suddenly Lt. Keel's whistle blew, and all the men looked prepared for what they were about to do.

Inuyasha and Miroku quickly got their rifles ready, and double-checked to make sure that they had all their ammo in their packs.

When the boat crashed unto the stony shore, all hell erupted…

_End Flash Back_

Well, he managed to get the rest of students' attention now. Most of them were leaning on their desks as if they could see the fighting before their eyes, some of the other students had tears in their eyes, although, one student caught Inuyasha's attention. The boy who interrupted the class in the beginning looked completely bored. He casually had his elbow on the desk propping up his chin and staring out the window lazily.

"_What was this kids name again? Oh yea! Ranma…heh, he kind of reminds me of myself."_

"That's so sad," Akane said aloud.

Inuyasha gave a slight chuckle. "What's so sad?" he questioned stupidly.

"What do you mean 'what's so sad?' The way you guys promised each other to give your personal item to a loved one if one of you guys die is so tragic!" Akane exclaimed.

Inuyasha laughed louder this time and explained. "Girl, when you're about to enter into a battle that would determine your fate of life and death, a death wish is the least of your worries. Of course I thought it was wrong at the time, but…it was his wish if he didn't make it…" Inuyasha suddenly cut off his speech, knowing what he was about to lead the conversation to.

"So what was it like?" a boy asked.

"The battle?"

"Yeah. What was it like to be shot at and to try and kill your enemy?" the boy questioned again in a more excited tone.

"Well, no offence boy, but being shot at isn't as exciting as you might think it is. Shooting at another human isn't much fun either. Of course with the video games you kids have now, I would assume it is fun to you," he replied sounding like a teacher giving a lecture.

The boy sent a downcast look, feeling really sorry for saying those hurtful implications.

"So what happened in Dieppe?" Akane asked, eager to get the story going.

"Alright. Once Miroku and I set foot on the beach, things didn't go according to plan…"

_Flash Back_

It felt like hours had passed, and yet the piercing light coming at him at lighting speed would not cease. The loud cries from machine guns and his fallen comrades increased.

It was hell…

That was the only thought coursing through his mind: this is not Earth anymore.

There was no possible place on Earth that could be so horrifying. Everything was happening too fast. Inuyasha tried to solely concentrate on surviving, but the cries of pain from his comrades, the people he's been with for the past two years were dying, and he couldn't help them. It was so much of a distraction that he didn't notice the barbwire he stumbled upon.

Bullets from the machine guns were darting in every direction, as he fell to the stony beach that was stained with blood. The metal spikes from the wire dug into his flesh deeply, which caused him more pain, but he had to concentrate on surviving.

Inuyasha looked ahead to see he still had a lot of ground to cover to reach the cliff where the Germans stood in defense. There were four posted machine guns, shielded behind a thick layer of wall. Only a few of the allies were dead, but other than that, the Germans had a huge advantage.

Inuyasha began to crawl towards the cliff, the bloodied stones scratching and staining his uniform. The bottom calf of his left leg was bleeding badly from the bobbed wire, but he ignored the pain and continued forward. He saw a German soldier stand up slightly behind the thick wall, and upon instincts, Inuyasha took a firm hold on his rifle, aimed, and shot a few rounds until the man dropped dead.

He never thought it could hurt this much…to take another life from a person he barely knew. Granted though, the man was a German. A man who wanted to take away rights from Canada, but why should it be this way?

Suddenly a grenade was thrown heading in Inuyasha's direction. He instinctively ducked and threw his arms over his head for a little protection. The grenade flew past him, and as it contacted the ground a loud ear-piercing explosion could be heard, followed by shattered stones and bones. The rubble contacted Inuyasha, but it was minimal damage.

Screams and cries from his fellow comrades were heard right behind him. Inuyasha briefly turned around to see his friends' bloodied bodies. There were missing limbs everywhere, and his friends were still suffering from the pain. _"Damn it! I can't do anything! I don't even know where Miroku is…"_

Inuyasha was really angry now. Out of fury, Inuyasha saw the Germans above the cliff, and randomly began to shoot them down. He wasted most of his ammo by simply destroying the surface of cliff, and only managed to shoot down two men. Inuyasha continued to fire away until clicking sounds could be heard from his rifle, telling him that he ran out of ammo. He turned left and right, looking around the ground to see if there was any ammo lying around. At the same time, bullets were being shot at him. Right now he was an easy target, since he was in an open area.

Inuyasha went back to crouching on the stony beach, and found a dead body near by, with a bag full of un-used ammo. As fast as he could, Inuyasha grabbed the pack from the dead man's waist. When Inuyasha emptied the contents, his eyes traveled to his left to see another dead body, although this time he recognized who it was…

Miroku.

"_No…"_

"Drop your weapon!"

"_Shit." _Inuyasha looked up to see a rifle pointed directly to his head, and a German soldier hovering above him. Slowly, Inuyasha placed his weapons to the ground and raised his hands above his head in defense.

When the German was satisfied, he shouted out something in his language and his re-enforcements piled out from behind and began to search for survivors. Then the man returned his attention to Inuyasha, "Get up slowly with your hands behind your head," he ordered in English with a heavy German accent.

Inuyasha's head bowed down in despair. He failed his first battle. The Battle of Dieppe was a disaster. He turned his head to look at the body of his friend…Miroku. They had been friends since they were little, and now, for the first time…Inuyasha would have to go on with life without Miroku by his side. The German soldier ushered Inuyasha to move up, but Inuyasha took a bold chance and asked for a request.

"Sir," Inuyasha started nervously.

"What is it you Canadian?" The German spat, making it sound like being a Canadian was fowl and dirty.

"Could I…maybe just get the wristwatch my dead friend wears?"

The German sent a look to which dead body he was talking about and then saw whom the Canadian was pointing to. Surprisingly, the German simply nodded his head, while also adding, "If you try anything funny, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Inuyasha paid no heed to the threat. He didn't want to think about trying anything. Fifty German soldiers currently surrounded him; there was no chance of escaping this island, especially since there was no boat at shore. Only few of his allies managed to escape, but they also managed to take the boats away too, leaving him and two thousand other men behind.

They were all going to be prisoners of war.

He headed to his friend's limp body, and noticed the many bullet holes that pierced through his chest. Blood poured through Miroku's wounds and stained his uniform. Inuyasha couldn't stand the sight of his dead friend, and quickly finished his task when he took off the golden wristwatch to be given to Sango.

Inuyasha whispered softly to him. "Goodbye, my friend."

"Alright, that's enough, now march!" the German yelled.

Inuyasha gave the German an annoyed stare, and pocketed the watch. He saw his fellow surviving soldiers already marching into the village, and began to follow suit.

There was a wide path between a series of buildings. There were a few food stations, but most of the buildings were filled with beds and mats for the other German soldiers who stayed. Others were dirtied, and broken-downed buildings. _"Probably our rooms," _Inuyasha thought.

The Germans ordered for the prisoners to be seated in the middle of the road so they could give them new names, well actually numbers. The prisoners were to be given numbers to be called by from now on. They also took out lots of straw rope at different lengths; looked like they're all going to be here for a very long time.

As all of his fellow comrades were being seated, he started feeling really thirsty all of a sudden. Well of course, they were all hungry and thirsty. They all hadn't eaten since they left the harbor, which was 48 hours ago. Also running around, trying to survive a battle made them all extremely tired.

"You, the boy with the white hair, your number 5590."

'_Great…now my name is no longer Inuyasha, but 5590?'_

Inuyasha suddenly had an idea just to lighten the mood around everyone, and spoke cockily to the soldier that gave him his number.

"Hey," Inuyasha said aloud for everyone to hear. "We're all kind of hungry. As our host, you should be giving us some food and water."

The German soldier replied cockily, "You Canadians weren't invited here in the first place, so why should we be good hosts?" He laughed at his statement.

Well Inuyasha wasn't about to let the soldier have the last laugh.

"So if we're not wanted here, then let us leave!"

There was a roar of laughter from all his comrades. Even some of the Germans managed to stifle a laugh, although Inuyasha angered the soldier in front of him.

The man was really irritated at this Canadian's attitude. He suddenly grabbed Inuyasha by the collar of his uniform and lifted him into the air.

Inuyasha stopped his laughter, and so did his other comrades, but the German soldiers laughed evilly.

"I take that as a no?" Inuyasha said stupidly.

"Heh, you're a real funny one aren't you?"

"Thank you. I'd like the think so among enemies."

He suddenly threw Inuyasha to the ground as his response.

"What's your name boy?"

"Takahashi. Inuyasha, Takahashi."

"Well, Inuyasha, I'll be sure to remember you, and your funny mouth." Then he turned to leave, but Inuyasha stopped him before he could get too far.

"Wait! Since you know my actual name, why don't you be a gentlemen and tell me your name?"

"Oh you want to get closer to your enemy eh? Well fine, my name is Naraku…you just remember that."

"Don't worry, I never forget a disgusting name. Your mother mus…"

Naraku suddenly threw a punch to Inuyasha's jaw, sending him to the ground and knocking over one of his comrades. "You filthy Canadian," Naraku yelled, and spat on Inuyasha's face.

Inuyasha got up and wiped off the foul saliva off his cheek and muttered an "asshole." Another soldier came up to him and stuck on a number sequence onto his uniform.

"5590, you'll be staying in cabin six. Now march!"

Inuyasha ignored the soldier's demand, and just 'walked' to his cabin, but before he could leave the area, the same soldier kicked him to the ground and pulled his arms behind his back.

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Where do you think your going?" he asked.

Inuyasha gave the man a dumb look, as if saying "are you serious?" "Didn't you just ask me to go to cabin six?"

"Yeah, but your not going anywhere without your bonds."

"Bonds?"

Instead of explaining to Inuyasha what he was talking about, he decided to show him instead. He roughly grabbed hold of Inuyasha's hands, and crossed the wrists over each other in front of his chest. He used the straw rope and tied his wrists tightly, so tightly that Inuyasha couldn't even wiggle much out of its hold.

"You'll be eating, disposing, and living the rest of your days in these bonds. Now go!"

"I'm going, I'm going…"

As Inuyasha walked towards his cabin, he couldn't help but think that some of these German soldiers who were going to imprison him and over 2 000 other soldiers were gentlemen…well gentlemen enough. That man Naraku, seriously gave him the creeps though. He wasn't your usual "human." The man possessed an ugly stench and was surrounded with malice and hate. A disgusting and despicable man-that Inuyasha would never forget.

"Hey Inuyasha! Over here!"

Inuyasha looked ahead, and saw one of his fellow comrades and friend; Bankotsu waved his wrists in the air to grab his attention from cabin six. Inuyasha ran towards him, getting used to the fact that running with his hands tied to the front made it more difficult.

"These knots suck eh?" he asked jokingly.

"Yeah. How on earth are we going to be able to eat like this?"

"I don't really know, but I'm assuming there won't be any table manners to worry about, since we'll probably just have to use our mouths to scrape the food out of our bowls." Bankotsu laughed as he led Inuyasha to his spot on the mat of the dirt floor.

Inuyasha laughed aloud. "You know what would make eating our meals here more interesting?"

Bankotsu shook his head and leaned in closer to Inuyasha when he motioned to come closer for him.

"If we had some hot chick feed us."

Both men hollered out in laughter at their silly daydreams. There was no way the Germans would give them good service…they were supposed to torture them as they stayed as their 'guests' in Dieppe.

Suddenly Bankotsu stopped laughing and was staring at something past Inuyasha. He suddenly had a dumb look on his face; eyes wide open with his mouth hanging. Inuyasha swore he saw a little drool coming out of the corner of his friend's mouth.

"Holy shit…the Germans were a whole lot nicer than we first thought, man," Bankotsu dragged on as he continued to stare at something behind Inuyasha.

Curiosity got the better of him and he slowly began to turn his head around to see…

A Goddess.

He thought his heart skipped a beat, because one look at her beauty had stopped time altogether. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, she was like no other. She wore a dirtied white blouse that showed a modest amount of cleavage, and her worn brown skirt covered most of her legs. Her thick, wavy, raven tresses fell casually over her solders, and she had the perfect body: not too skinny like the swimsuit models, but with a hint of chubbiness that gave her a full hourglass body. What caught Inuyasha's attention the most were her beautiful eyes. Her brown orbs shined with life, but most importantly, her eyes reminded him of his passed mother from years ago.

Inuyasha was at a lost of words. He couldn't even hear anything around him now; he just had a silent moment between himself and her.

"Hello-o, earth to Inuyasha. Waking up from dream-land yet?" Bankotsu was waving his hand in front of Inuyasha's awe-struck face, not to mention, stone-stuck.

"W-what?" Inuyasha asked dumbly, finally noticing Bankotsu's hand in front of him.

"She's a beauty isn't she?" Bankostu questioned, nodding his head towards the beautiful lady who was handing out bowls of stew to the soldiers.

"Yeah…I wonder what her name is, or how on earth she even got here," Inuyasha said as he continued to stare at the girl. He couldn't help but notice that in these dark times, she held a glistening smile. It was as if the sun shone over her all the time.

"Well then, now you'll find out, because she's coming this way." He smirked.

"Oh shit!" Inuyasha yelped. He quickly ruffled his hair to give it a boyish messy look, and struggled but managed to successfully adjust his shirt so that it showed a little of his well-toned chest. Then he casually leaned his elbows against the ground to finish of the sexy pose.

There she was, eyeing him over, as she came. Inuyasha gave the winning smile at her to grab her attention. She was coming closer now…

Closer…

Closer…

"Hi there…" Inuyasha stopped talking when she suddenly gave him this evil stare, and just turned around and left, but not before setting down a bowl of stew in front of him.

Once she was out of sight, the cabin roared with laughter followed by "boos" and "you suck!" comments.

"Oh man! Hey everybody! Inuyasha's been blown! You guys better lose your sights on this girl, she's a tough one!" Bankotsu yelled.

There were moans and groans from everyone now as they made there way to their mats to sleep. If Inuyasha couldn't grab a girl's attention, then there was no hope for the rest of them. Inuyasha just had that charm that the others wished they had.

"I can't believe she didn't fall for my sexy pose…" Inuyasha lay on his mat dumbfounded, ignoring the bowl of stew the girl left behind. He didn't have the urge to eat anymore.

"Don't worry yourself over her. I mean, you can't have _all_ the women falling for you," Bankotsu said matter-of-factly.

"Yea, I guess…" Soon they all drifted to sleep.

* * *

The very next morning, everyone woke up to an irritating sound coming from outside. It was time to wake up, although no one knew exactly what time it was…except for Inuyasha. He still kept the golden watch Miroku used to wear in his pocket. He took it out and gasped at the time…it was 6:00 am in the morning! Of course, they've all had earlier wake-up calls during training, but why would the Germans want for them to get up so early?

Nothing, that's what.

Inuyasha figured they just wanted to blow that blasted horn just to irritate them all. Since all sleep left him, Inuyasha decided to get up, but had trouble doing so. He was really starting to get annoyed with his bonds. It made it more difficult to do anything! He felt useless, like he needed help do to his daily routine.

Now that he couldn't use his hands to push himself up, he had to depend on his stomach muscles. Inuyasha started straining when he tried to use his muscles to push himself up, but the morning weakness got the better of him and he just slumped back down. Not to mention that his wound from the barbwire was still unattended.

Then he heard a Goddess's voice near him.

"Need help?" she questioned.

Inuyasha turned to his left so see that beauty talking to him. Despite the dirt on her face, she still looked beautiful to him. It's funny, because he never felt this way towards any woman before. Not even Kikyo, but when he's around this woman, his heart wouldn't stop beating, and he barely even knew the girl!

Or maybe his ego just yearned for some woman pleasure after being in training for over two years…

No way! He wasn't _that _desperate. It must be something else that's making him feel this way.

"Sure."

With her tender, smooth hands, she began to ease Inuyasha into a sitting position. He tried to catch her eye by staring into hers, and thankfully, it worked today.

She, in turn, stared back into his golden depths.

"They're so beautiful…" she whispered aloud without realizing it.

"What?"

She suddenly coughed, and turned to walk away, but was put to a halt when Inuyasha grabbed her wrist…awkwardly. With his hands still tied it made the simplest of tasks a whole lot more difficult.

"Why won't you talk to me? I'm not a threat or anything. Well if you're one of the German soldier's then yes, but to you I'm sure I'm not of any harm."

The young girl figured this would be a nice chat so she took a seat beside him and explained herself. "After yesterday, my first impression of you was a cocky old fart," she giggled.

Inuyasha had a shocked look on his face. "What made you think that?" he asked outraged.

"Well the look on your face, and the way you posed. It looked like you were trying to get something if you know what I mean," she stated.

"Of course I was trying to get something!"

She had a startled look on her face, and then disappointment. That wasn't the answer she was hoping to hear. She turned to walk away, but once again, Inuyasha managed to get a hold of her hand and dragged her to sit down as he explained himself.

"I was trying to get an introduction."

"Oh." _"That was a pretty charming come-back..."_

"So…"

Knowing that he was waiting for an introduction she thought it was all right to at least give him her name.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi, and I'm eighteen years old as of last week."

"Well then, nice to meet you Kagome and happy belated birthday. You're pretty young to be working at a camp like this, especially since we had a heated battle just twenty-four hours ago. So why are you here exactly?" he questioned again. It didn't make sense for such a young girl to be out of the house in a middle of a war, so he had to know. Where did she come from exactly? She's definitely not another German, so was she just another prisoner slaving away? Or is she just a foreigner helping out the Germans? When Inuyasha joined the war, he was eighteen when he was training, but now since he's twenty years of age he seemed more obligated to be out here than her.

Kagome was first stunned by his question. She really didn't want to talk about the reason why she was here, or more like the fact that she was forced to come here. She thought of the next best lie.

Inuyasha saw her hesitate for a moment, but then she regained her normal posture.

"My family sent me here from a village not too far away so I could help pay off the house debts, we don't even have enough money to buy food for our family; the rations are becoming less and less. Lucky for me, I get free meals here…so all I have to do is slave around so I can send money home." She didn't want to lie to him, but she hardly even knew him. He could ruin her, or worse, he could get in trouble if he found out. So far, she kind of liked this man…after she was sure he wasn't just being nice so he could fool around.

"Oh I'm sorry, but this is what happens to everybody when the government decides to break out into war for no apparent reason…well there was a reason, but a pretty stupid reason," he explained.

For some reason, Inuyasha couldn't feel real pity towards her. For one reason, he knew that she wasn't the only one. The whole world was working double time to feed families, and secondly…he felt that she was lying to him. The way she hesitated before she gave her answer to him, and the fact that she couldn't look straight into his eyes when she answered, was a dead giveaway. She knew that if she were to show the emotion in her eyes, he could confirm that she was in fact lying.

"So why are you supporting the government and coming out to fight this war, if you think this is all stupid to begin with?" she questioned. In a way, she really liked his response to why she was here. Not because of the fact that he bought the lie, but because the answer was really down-to-earth, and he really spoke from the heart and truth, unlike herself.

"I've been asked this question before. To make it short, my half brother is one of the generals," he stated bluntly.

"Oh that makes sense now."

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, and then Kagome realized what time it was.

"I should be going. I still need to serve 2,000 men their meals," she said with an innocent smile as she stood up. This time, Inuyasha made no move to pull her back down. He already got his introduction from her.

"You mean your feeding all of us by yourself!" he yelled out in shock.

"Like you said, I'm pretty young to even be here. None of the other girls would have come here. I'll get a first-aid kit to help close your wound. I'm sure your fellow comrades will need some bandages too."

Kagome was about to exit the door, but she stopped when she realized she forgot to ask him something. Inuyasha saw her stopped and looked up to see if she forgot something.

"By the way, I gave you my introduction; I think I deserve a small introduction from yourself," she said as she gave a small pout.

Inuyasha laughed. "My name's Inuyasha Takahashi, age twenty."

"That's all?"

"Well that's all the information _you_ gave me, so I think that's fair enough," he said cockily.

"Fair enough." Then she went out the door.

Once Inuyasha was sure she was out of earshot, he cheered aloud to himself in congratulations. _"That's right, I still got it!"_

However, with Kagome, different thoughts were running through her head. _"He seems like a nice guy, with the hint of cockiness though, but what guy doesn't have a little man ego? I've never realized it before, but he's gorgeous! Especially his gold eyes, I've never seen them before…but what's with his hair? I've never seen such white before!"_

Kagome giggled to herself, suddenly remembering when she saw him messing up his hair yesterday to try and make himself look more boyish. She also couldn't help but see his toned chest where he unbuttoned his collar, but she was being too protective of herself to talk to him that day. Two words could already describe what she thought of him already: Darn cute.

Or maybe: damn sexy.

His whole character gave off the "I'm all that" aura, but of course it was his personality that she loved the most so far. Underneath that entire manly exterior, he showed a little of his kind and warm side that any girl dreamed of.

All happy thoughts were soon washed away when she reached the front steps to her master's quarters. Unwillingly, she knocked gently on the door. Quick movement could be heard inside, followed by muffled sounds before the door swung open to reveal Naraku and an unknown woman – his mistress for the night. She quickly left with only her bathrobe on, without any farewell.

"What is it you want Kagome?" Naraku said irritated that he was disturbed at 7:00 in the morning.

"Did you not ask for me to come to you before I serve breakfast?" she answered back just as irritated.

"Ah yes, I nearly forgotten."

"I'm sure you had," she whispered quietly as she eyed the whore that walked away.

Naraku heard what Kagome said, and roughly grabbed her arm and threw her inside his quarters before slamming the door shut.

"What the…" Kagome couldn't finish what she was saying because she suddenly felt a pain in her right cheek where Naraku had slapped her hard.

"You listen to me bitch, you belong to me you understand? You will obey my orders, and you will NOT talk to me disrespectfully!" he yelled as he shoved her onto the wooden chair. He heard her grunt in pain as she clutched onto her abused arm and cheek, but that just made him smirk more with satisfaction.

"Understand!" He wanted to hear her beg for forgiveness. He always loved a pleading girl.

"Y-yes. I'm sorry, I won't ever disrespect you again." Kagome was near to tears. He always acted like this towards her whenever she forgot to shut that abusive mouth of hers. Kagome's once strong and brave posture was whimpering now.

"Good. Now what news do you have to tell me about that bastard, Inuyasha?"

Kagome winced at the insult towards Inuyasha. It just hurt her when Naraku addressed Inuyasha like that. She didn't know why it hurt her heart so, but it just did.

"Not much. All he told me was his name and age." Kagome decided to leave out the part about his brother being a general; that information could lead to bigger trouble for Inuyasha.

"That's all?" Naraku questioned, eyeing her closely.

"Y-yes." His glare made a shiver run up her spine.

"Well that's not good enough!" he suddenly yelled and grabbed Kagome roughly by her arms and threw her hard to the floor.

The splintered floor scraped against her arms, letting her bleed a little. She winced again when Naraku picked her up again by her blouse, and brought her face a little too closely to his as he spoke to her again, but more calmly.

"Get me something more about him. Something that could ruin him, or else you can go back to the streets!" With that said, he threw Kagome out the door and into the dirt. He slammed the door shut behind him, and went back to work inside.

Kagome tears continued to fall, but she stopped herself before she lost control of her emotions. It was nearing 8:00 and she needed to start serving breakfast, or she'll have to deal with a hungry mob of prisoners. Wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, she stood up and began her walk to the kitchens.

Along the way, Kagome was thinking to herself, why did she still put up with him. He abused her everyday so he could get what he wanted out of people. He was basically her little spy. He always told her, _"You should be grateful to me. Who else would take you in, feed you, and provide you shelter? Nobody. Do you want to know why? Because no one would want a little slut like you." _

Yeah right. He only took her in because she was beautiful, easy to seduce his enemies, and wiggle out secrets out of them. That's all he needed her for.

All she was is a pawn in a chessboard of his schemes.

* * *

"Hey Inuyasha, I saw you talking with that babe," Bankotsu commented when he sat on a mat next to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha stopped working on his stitching to see Bankotsu sitting next to him. Living as a prisoner was pretty boring, so he and his friends decided to take up stitching. By using the different coloured thread from their torn uniforms and the towels the Germans provided them, they were able to stitch designs. Yes, they were pretty bored men.

Even though Inuyasha was busying himself physically, his mind was busy as well…busy thinking about a certain slave girl. At first, he was simply stunned by Kagome's beauty, but now, he was amazed at the kind of person she was. She shone a light of purity around herself, as if her body was bathed in wonder.

When Bankotsu called Kagome, "babe," a sudden churn of jealousy and possessiveness aroused that Inuyasha had never felt for a woman.

"She's got a name you know? It's Kagome," Inuyasha replied rudely.

"Oh, so you did manage to have a decent conversation with her," Bankotsu said, ignoring Inuyasha's pissed off mood. "I guess you haven't lost your touch then eh?"

"Of course not, and don't you even suggest crap like that between her and I. She's a sweet girl."

Bankotsu had a shocked expression on his face now. "Oh man, you've fallen for this girl haven't you?"

Now it was Inuyasha's turn to be shocked. "What the fuck! No way! What makes you say that?!"

"Listen to me Inuyasha. When a man such as yourself, a guy who could take any girl he wants, suddenly says that he wants to take it slow with another girl, he's desperately in love."

"What the hell? I never said I wanted to take it slow with her!"

"You're the one that just told me off saying that you don't even want suggestive crap to come between the two of you. I'd say that that means you want to slow things down, since you, Inuyasha, would never have said that," Bankotsu stated.

"No way in the world would I lo…"

"I'm sure you two would love something to eat right now."

Inuyasha was pissed off that he was so suddenly interrupted in the heat of an argument, and went to turn around and yell at whoever it was to fuck himself. When he turned around, he was suddenly glad that he was interrupted.

It was Kagome.

"Hi Inuyasha," she said cheerfully, and handed him and Inuyasha's friend a roll of bread. Then she took out the first aid kit, and began to tend to Inuyasha's leg.

Bankotsu noticed the look on Inuyasha's face when he saw Kagome, and had to control himself from laughing out loud. Taking the chance he had, he decided to leave Inuyasha and Kagome alone. Both of them didn't notice Bankotsu leave, but that was to be expected. The two were stuck in some kind of trance, just staring into each other's eyes.

"So, I heard some yelling, what were you two arguing about?" Kagome questioned as she took a seat beside him, busying herself with the bandages.

"Oh-h, nothing really." Inuyasha turned away from her slightly so that she wouldn't catch his blush, but unfortunately she noticed, and just tried to ignore it.

Inuyasha decided to lift up the intense moment and asked a random question. "So what's it like working here and serving over 2,000 men?"

Kagome's expression faltered and she turned away from him, trying to think of another lie before she had to respond to his answer. "Oh it's great. I'm getting paid well, but it does suck that I have to be around a bunch of stinky men." She giggled as she faced him.

Inuyasha knew she was lying. She turned her face away until she talked about being around stinky men. That for sure, was true. They all did stink. Of course, they were only allowed one shower a week. Suddenly he noticed something wrong with her.

"What happened to your face?" Inuyasha asked with concern in his eyes. She had a large bruise on her right cheek, and had scratches all over her body. She was fine early this morning, which meant something must have happened to her when he wasn't with her. Inuyasha had to suppress a low growl that was emerging from his throat.

Kagome forgot all about the bruise she received from Naraku earlier, and couldn't help but notice how angry and concerned Inuyasha was when he noticed it. She hated lying to him, but she'll have to, or else Naraku might hear and beat her up again. Unconsciously she covered the bruise on her cheek and turned away from him when she replied, "Oh this thing? I was running late on serving breakfast so I ran, and being clumsy me, I didn't notice the ditch off the side and fell." _"Oh please buy it!"_

Inuyasha knew she was lying to him again. Even though he cared for her, which he wouldn't admit, he knew she was hiding something from him. Eventually he would find out, but for now he'll just let her believe that he's oblivious to it all.

"Be careful next time, I don't want you to hurt yourself too much. Besides you still have to serve us food." Inuyasha smirked.

"Oh thanks. I can see I'll be treated nicely here," she said sarcastically.

_Three months later_

It had been three months since he became a prisoner at Dieppe, and many things

changed over the course of time.

The most relieving change was their bonds that prevented Inuyasha from doing his daily tasks were changed from tight straw rope, to chained shackles. It sounds as if their new bonds are more difficult to escape from, but it made tasks much easier, because there was a lot of slack between their wrists. At least now they were able to stretch.

Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship developed from acquaintances to good friends, although to Inuyasha, he thought of them as more than friends. After hearing Bankotsu's comment three months ago, it made Inuyasha think differently about Kagome, and soon began to realize his true feelings for her. Ironically, Kagome thought the same. Since the first day they met, they both knew that it would turn out to be an amazing friendship, but along those lines they both thought that something more could happen. Of course, neither would admit their feelings to each other. Everyday, Kagome would visit Inuyasha each time she had to serve a meal, and sometimes they would simply bump into each other when they went about their daily activities. It wasn't so much of a prison since the Germans let their prisoners roam around the camp, but to Inuyasha and Kagome's relief, it was what they wanted. Inuyasha guessed that the German soldiers didn't seem to want this prolonged war either.

Lately, at night, Kagome would sneak out of the servant quarters and visit Inuyasha in their secret place. They would always spend time with each other three hours after lights out so that it was sure that no one would be awake. It was in a small forested area behind the cabins. There were no traps or barbed wire to harm them in that area, it was just exclusive enough for both of them to meet each other there without being caught. The only person who knew about this place was Bankotsu, but he dared not interfere the "couple's" meetings at night. He already knew that they loved each other. He just wished they'd both get the drama over with and willingly admit their feelings.

Still, Naraku has been slowly getting un-wanted information out of Kagome. She loved Inuyasha too much to get him into trouble, even if she was risking her safety over it. Every two nights before it was time to see Inuyasha at their hideout, she would visit Naraku, and every time she visited him, he would always beat her and tell her to get more information. She would tell Naraku everything that wouldn't harm Inuyasha or be used against him in any way. The biggest secret was about Inuyasha being related to a general. After three months, Naraku hadn't done too much damage to her, well too much damage no more than what he usually did, but now he was becoming more agitated each time she told him the same thing.

"_That's all he told me. He doesn't trust me enough to give me any reliable information." _

Naraku knew that she was lying each time she said that. He wouldn't have brought Kagome in, if he knew that she wouldn't be able to con a man. Kagome was his greatest spy. She was able to do any job he gave her, and now suddenly she tells him that her suspect doesn't trust her? It was all bullshit to Naraku. At one point he saw Kagome talking with Inuyasha, saw the connection between the two, and fully understood why she was lying to him. He could use their relationship and turn it against Inuyasha, but he still needed Kagome.

Throughout this time, Inuyasha still hadn't figured out what went on with Kagome when he wasn't with her. Each time they visited each other, he began to see more cuts and bruises on Kagome's figure. Each time she would say she was being clumsy and fell. Of course, he knew they were all lies, because of the fact that she always turned her head away when she told him, and because he knew she was as graceful as an angel. There was no way she was _that _clumsy. He would have to figure it out soon, because lately, her injuries were becoming worse and worse. It had been three months that he's had to seen her harmed, and if he saw her injured one more time, he knew he wouldn't be able to stand it anymore and would have to approach her. By now, he hoped that she trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

* * *

It was the night she dreaded again.

In about five minutes, she would have to leave her quarters to visit Naraku. She was sure that he was going to inflict a lot more damage on her tonight. At least Inuyasha would comfort her after her beating…he always did. Every other night he would ask where she got her bruises from, and she would always give him the same response. Then he would always give her a hug, and sometimes a kiss on the forehead while he did the best he could to clean her wounds. Kagome's wounds did hurt her a lot, but when he gave her a kiss on the forehead and sometimes on the wound (depending where it was), all the pain would wash away. Whoever said a kiss never actually makes the 'boo boo' go away was a liar. It actually worked, well for Kagome anyways.

Kagome dragged her feet up the steps to Naraku's quarters. She began knocking on the door until he swung the door open angrily.

"Get in," he said in a way that made Kagome's skin crawl. It sounded as if he was trying to control his voice, like he was straining not to do his worst while she stood outside his door. He would until she got inside.

Kagome quietly walked in making sure she kept an eye on Naraku in case he were to pull out a gun or knife on her…he sounded that angry.

"You know what's interesting Kagome?" he questioned.

Kagome shook her head instead of speaking. She was afraid that what she said might anger him.

"A friend of mine, who doesn't even know the meaning of war, just happened to come across a Sesshomaru Taisho…"

Kagome tried not to have a shocked expression when he said that name. _"Oh shit, that's Inuyasha's half brother's name. Oh gosh, I hope he didn't figure out the connection."_

Naraku saw fear in Kagome's eyes, but ignored it. "Sesshomaru Taisho, is the Canadian general that led the battle of Vimy Ridge to victory. My friend also found out from him that he has a younger half-brother. Have you heard of him?"

Kagome shook her head again, and tried to force a dumb look on her face so it would seem that she had no clue about any of this.

"Really? Because it's funny how a friend of mine that just found out this information through connections could figure out who Sesshomaru is related to, and my own trusted spy couldn't!" he yelled as he punched her in the face, knocking Kagome down.

She yelled out in pain. She touched her already swelling cheek. It was one of the hardest punches Naraku had given her yet, but what was worse, was that he figured out Inuyasha's true identity and secret.

"Why didn't you tell me that Inuyasha Takahashi was related to the general, Sesshomaru?!" Naraku yelled, emphasizing each point as he continuously threw her across the room, knocking her into everything that stood.

Kagome had to catch her breath before she shakily stood up to give him his reply. There were cuts and bruises everywhere now and she also noticed that there was a lot of blood coming out from her arms when he threw her against the table.

"He…never told me," she rasped out.

Naraku wouldn't have her lie to him again. He suddenly grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the wall. Kagome was now fighting for the breath she needed.

"I took you in Kagome. When I found you, you were as thin as a stick. I knew you were going to die soon. You were a worthless bum with no family that no one would love or care for. But despite all this, I took you in, and gave you food and shelter. I let you live! And now, after you met some guy, you have the gall to disrespect and lie to me!" He spat at her face as he tightened his grip on her.

"N-no…" she said hoarsely. She used both her hands to hold back his death grip on her throat, as she choked from the air she lacked. "Y-you only used me…as your spy. You _needed_ me."

Naraku narrowed his eyes to slits, and threw her to the ground as he spat into her face again. "You're right, I needed you then, and I still need you now."

Kagome gasped as the air began to fill her lungs again. Her vision was blurry before, but slowly it was coming back to her. Her vision began to focus on the evil man standing above her.

Suddenly he kicked her to the side, which made her roll onto her front. Kagome couldn't move now, and everything was starting to get blurry again, then everything went black.

* * *

Inuyasha's heart was racing.

He was with his group of friends chatting away, when all of sudden his heart stopped for a moment. His friends noticed this when Inuyasha suddenly went stiff as a board and asked him what was wrong. Inuyasha shook off the feeling and just dismissed himself to walk around. When he went out into the cool night, he felt a chill run up his spine. His heart wouldn't stop racing, and it wasn't because of the cold air. He knew something was wrong, and the feeling only happened whenever he saw Kagome's injuries. He hasn't seen Kagome yet though. It would be another four hours until it was time for them to meet each other at their hide out. He felt as if something seriously wrong happened to her.

As he was contemplating this feeling, he made a decision to pop the question. No, not the "do you love me" declaration; tonight he was finally going to ask for the truth. Ask what she was hiding that made her lie to him for three months, and finally find out what has been going on.

* * *

Kagome moaned silently as she felt herself wake up due to a noisy racket from the room beside her. She was still on the floor of Naraku's chambers, with blood pouring from her wounds. Slowly she began to pick herself up from the floor while clutching her abused neck. She heard shouts from next to her room, and slowly walked closer to the direction of the noise to find out what Naraku was talking about.

"Yes! I'm telling you, his brother is here!" There was a slight pause; obviously the person on the other line was speaking.

"That's right. Send word to the General. We'll bribe him to surrender, unless he wants Inuyasha's head on a platter," Naraku snickered.

Kagome gasped. Naraku is going to bribe Sesshomaru to surrender in order for Inuyasha to be safe, but from what she heard from Inuyasha…him and his brother are never on speaking terms. This means, Sesshomaru wouldn't think twice about saving his brother, and then Naraku would kill Inuyasha.

Forcing all the energy out of body, Kagome searched for the set of keys Naraku always kept that unlocked everything at camp. When she found them hiding under his desk, she quickly grabbed them and ran as fast as she could to the hide out. Inuyasha should already be waiting for her.

* * *

Inuyasha was lying down on the ground behind a bush staring into the night sky, counting off the many stars. Kagome should be here by now. He guessed she was running a little behind, but while he waited, he was contemplating how he was going to ask her the question.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the bush's rustle. Instinctively he sat up in case it was someone else who decided to crash. Kagome never made such a noisy entrance.

He was proven wrong when he saw her tumble forward. She managed to trip onto an overgrowing root and as quickly as he could, he ran up to catch her before she fell. Worry shone on his face when he felt the sticky substance on her arms, as he let her sit on his lap, he saw himself covered with her blood. Even in the dark, the bruises couldn't go unnoticed. He saw her gasping for air, as if she ran for dear life to him. The fear that Inuyasha felt early that day was coming back to him; this was what was giving him the chill the entire time.

"What the hell happened?!" he asked. He was boiling with anger now. There was no way this could have been an accident. The cuts and bruises looked intentional.

Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha's face just about ten inches away from her own. She wanted so badly just to grab him and kiss the life out of him so that she wouldn't have to see his worried face. She wouldn't have the guts to do such a thing, so she just stayed in his arms.

She responded, "Just being clumsy as usual," she replied before she passed out in his arms, all the energy suddenly draining from her.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha looked at her body. She was a mess! As he laid her on the ground to tend to her wounds, he kept cursing at the person who did this to her. He was going to make sure he paid for what he has done to her.

Fifteen minutes passed and Kagome hasn't woken up from her sleep yet. When Inuyasha tore his shirt to bandage up her wounds. He was glad that they weren't as bad as they looked. The wounds were already clotting, so the bleeding stopped. He didn't have any ice to bring down the swelling on her cheek and side, but at least her cuts were taken care of.

He stared at her for a while, searching for any sign of her waking up so he could find out who the hell messed with her. When he grasped her hand as a way of encouragement, her eyes began to flutter open.

"Kagome, you're awake!" He smiled and picked her up. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and hugged her for dear life.

Kagome had nearly forgotten why she ran here in the first place. She just enjoyed the moment between Inuyasha and herself. In his arms…it felt so right to her.

Kagome suddenly felt the warmth leave her when Inuyasha pulled back to ask her what happened. This time, he was stressing over the matter.

"Kagome, I want the truth now. What has been going on for the past few months? I know you're not this clumsy. I know someone's been hurting you. So please, tell me the truth." Inuyasha gave her the most innocent eyes she has ever seen; they had warmth, concern and…love in them.

"Inuyasha, there's no time for explaining. You need to get out of here now before they find you!" she stressed.

"What are you talking about? Who's coming after me?"

"Naraku's going to kill you!" she yelled.

Inuyasha hushed her, and suddenly remembered Naraku's wrath upon him on the first day that they met. "Naraku? Wait…was he the one that's been doing this to you?!" Inuyasha asked angrily.

Kagome was close to tears. Inuyasha wasn't about to leave without an explanation. She just prayed that no one would find them before she could get Inuyasha to escape. Maybe she could try one more time. Kagome flung herself onto Inuyasha and cried into his chest, begging for him to leave. As she cried, she took out the set of keys she stole from Naraku and chose the right key to get the shackles off of his wrists.

Inuyasha was amazed with Kagome. Here she was, crying her heart out, and all the while she managed to release him from his bonds. His wrists were red from the rash, but he didn't care about it at the moment. He just grabbed Kagome and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Kagome was at a lost of words, not that she could talk now that Inuyasha's lips sealed her own. He moved his mouth over hers, but she wasn't responding. Once her senses kicked in, she responded back, putting both of them into a heated kiss. Suddenly all worry washed away, as if that kiss solved all their problems. All they needed was each other. Hanging at the back of their brains though, they both knew that they'd have to face their problems at some point.

When they pulled back away, they were both gasping for breath. Inuyasha and Kagome were thinking the exact same thing, _"I've wanted to that for such a long time."_

Kagome was the first to get back to her senses. "Inuyasha…please, you have to leave."

Inuyasha was angry with Kagome now. They just had this passionate moment, and then suddenly she commands him to leave with no explanation? And why would he leave her here? Someone was obviously hurting her, and if she thought that she could let him escape without her, she had another thing coming.

"I'm not leaving without you or an explanation!"

"But…"

"No buts Kagome. You're telling me now!"

Kagome couldn't get out of it now. The sooner she explained herself, the sooner she could get him out of here. She began to quickly tell him what happened. What her life was like before Naraku found her and took her in. She told him what she did with Naraku, how he used her for his schemes which also included Inuyasha. Inuyasha was shocked that she conned him and was upset because he felt he was being used, but when he thought about it longer, he realized that was how she got her beatings. She wouldn't tell Naraku the information he needed about him, and because of this, she was beaten. It was all for his sake.

"Kagome you…you suffered because of me?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome nodded and looked away. This time, Inuyasha knew she was telling the truth. Even though her head was turned, she was turning away to hide the blush that was forming.

"You idiot! How could you risk your safety for me!" he yelled angrily, and then suddenly pulled into a tight hug. He was being babied, being protected by a woman no less. Not that it seriously mattered, but he should've been the one protecting her, not the other way around.

Kagome cried into his chest. "I had to! I couldn't have Naraku hurt you. He found out that you're related to Sesshomaru, and now he's going to bribe him into surrendering for your safety."

"Sesshomaru won't do that."

"I know! That's why you have to escape, because if your brother won't save you, then Naraku's going to kill you!"

Inuyasha couldn't hold it in any longer. He hated being protected, and not only that, but the woman he loves was risking her safety over him. He wasn't going to have it anymore. He needed her right now, but she was rambling on about escaping, and she wasn't going to listen to him, so he did the next best thing.

He pulled her into a chaste kiss to silence her. When he felt her respond, he smiled against her lips and started moving them with hers.

As Inuyasha laid Kagome down against the grass, her worried mind managed to drift away from her with him straddling her waist. All logical sense left her; all she wanted was Inuyasha. She didn't know what to do though, since she had no experience at being so intimate with another man, so she just let Inuyasha take over her body.

Inuyasha didn't meant for it to go this far, but once he heard her moan against his lips he lost all senses, except for the fact that this felt so right to him. He began to undress her as she did the same with him, taking one button at a time.

* * *

In the cold, Naraku was wandering around aimlessly at camp. He misplaced his keys. He needed them so he could unlock the door to the kitchen and grab something to eat. All of the yelling and beating he inflicted on Kagome gave him an appetite. Not to mention the amazing sex he had with some girl after Kagome left. He didn't exactly see Kagome leave, but he wasn't worried. He knew that Kagome wouldn't do anything he disliked, because she'd know what he'd do to her if she did.

He was walking down the prisoner's area looking around to see if he may have dropped the keys. He was really hungry.

As he passed cabin six, he heard something that didn't sound like the crickets. He heard noises behind the cabin, and he quietly tiptoed his way behind it. He never knew there was a forested area over here, but that didn't matter. All he knew was that he heard people in the area, which is odd because it has been lights out a few hours ago, and everyone should be asleep.

When he got closer, he started to hear the noises more clearly now. He heard a woman's voice moan in pleasure, followed by rasped voices from a male. _"Gosh, did they have to have sex in the bushes?" _Naraku was a pretty 'clean' person, and found that utterly disgusting.

He was about to leave the couple alone, but curiosity got the better of him as he quietly approached the two. He had to know who it was. Something didn't seem right.

There he saw Kagome's naked form underneath a silver-haired man. She was clinging onto him, a pained expression crossing her face as Inuyasha made love to her for her first time.

To them, Naraku's presence went unnoticed as they continued to move together in a steady rhythm. From Naraku's point of view, he was screaming in anger and quietly left to his quarters, forgetting all about his hunger and keys. Naraku was furious. How dare she disobey him! Before his eyes, Kagome was making love with his enemy. Oh she was going to pay dearly for her actions. He was actually sort of glad that he left the two alone for now, because it'll be the last time they will be together.

* * *

Both Kagome and Inuyasha collapsed onto each other after they reached their climax. They were covered in sweat and breathing heavily from the experience.

Kagome's core was throbbing with pain, and left behind a bloodied mess on the ground. After the painful start, she had this wonderful feeling when they both became one. It was a feeling she never felt before. Being with the one she truly loved gave her hope that she could make it through life okay, as long as Inuyasha was by her side.

Inuyasha pulled himself out of her and laid beside her. Automatically Kagome had her arms wrapped over his bare chest to keep the warmth. He saw her slowly shut her eyes as she rested against him. What Kagome and him just did had blown his mind away. Of course, this wasn't his first time and he could tell that she was un-experienced. He loved the fact that she was pure, because he knew that he had her all to himself. Even though it hurt him to see her in pain when he first thrust himself into her, he loved her for the fact that she was willing to give away her innocence to him…and only him. When he made love to her, it wasn't just simple lust for her that he felt, but as he moved in and out of her, he felt only love. He didn't realize it before, but what Miroku had said to him was true: Inuyasha would protect Kagome with his life just like what Miroku would do for Sango. It was one life for another, and now he understood how Miroku felt. Despite what Inuyasha thought earlier about love, that it was all bullshit…he was wrong. Too bad Miroku wasn't there to tell him to make him swallow his own words.

Both took a moment to think about what they just did, and that it was everything they wanted. They held their naked bodies to each other for warmth and looked up into the sky. It was a beautiful scene. The sun was beginning to rise, which made the sky shine with colourful shades of red and purple.

"_Oh no…the sun is rising!"_ Kagome's mind screamed. While she had her moment with Inuyasha, she forgot all about her plan to set Inuyasha free.

Kagome forced herself to stand, but felt her weak legs wobble. Luckily Inuyasha was fast enough to stand up and hold her steady.

"Take it easy," Inuyasha said as he held her.

"Inuyasha we have to leave before the sun fully rises."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. How could he forget? They needed to get out of here before the Germans found them.

The two quickly got themselves dressed once the blood managed to flow through Kagome's legs properly. Checking if the way was clear, the two ran out from behind the cabin. Kagome was leading the way to the back gate that led out of the Dieppe area, and into the heart of France.

The sky was starting to brighten more, and Kagome made quick work of the gate with the stolen keys. Quietly she opened the gate and pushed Inuyasha out.

"I'll never forget what happened between us Inuyasha," Kagome eyes watered, as she was about to say goodbye. She loved him too much to let him go, but if she left, Naraku would find out.

"I have to go now." Without even a hug or a goodbye kiss, she ran away from him.

Inuyasha was furious. How could she leave him? Was he not good enough for her? He ran back to Kagome and grabbed her arms to turn her around. "Where are you going?" he demanded. "You're coming with me."

Kagome thought she was going to cry now. It made it so much harder for her to say goodbye when he wanted her to stay with him. "I can't Inuyasha. If I leave here, Naraku would find out and…"

He shut her up by placing a kiss to her lips. Before they both lost it again, Inuyasha pulled away. "Leave with me. You don't have to stay here. I'll take care of you. If you stay, Naraku could kill you from the inside out. I promise I'll protect you, so come with me…please."

She looked into Inuyasha's golden eyes, reading his emotions to see if what he said was true. To see if he really did care for her so much, that he would really let her live with him…to see if she could live a better life than before. Then Kagome smiled; she saw exactly what she was looking for.

Inuyasha smiled in return when he saw her face glitter with joy. "Let's go," he said as he pulled her towards the gate, but Kagome pulled back.

Inuyasha suddenly looked upset. Was she refusing his offer? "Inuyasha, I want to leave with you but I need to go to my cabin. If we're going to be able to get out safely, I need to get my documents."

He sighed in relief when she said she was still leaving with him. Kagome's eyes pleaded with his to let her quickly get her things. The sun was starting to show its first rays of yellow light. They didn't have much time, but she needed to get those documents. Unwillingly, he let her go, but not before giving her a heated kiss and telling her to hurry while he waited.

Kagome quickly ran, heading towards her cabin. There was no sign of Naraku to her relief; he was probably still snoring away beside his nightly mistress. Soon, she saw her cabin in sight, and doubled her pace. She quickly but quietly swung the front door open, and suddenly screamed when she saw Naraku holding up a gun pointing at her head.

"You little traitor, going around being a slut to _my_ enemies!" he kicked her to the ground as he had his way with her.

* * *

Inuyasha heard a scream in the distance, and instantly recognized Kagome's voice.

"Shit. Naraku must've found her!" He had to get to her fast, before Naraku did his worst. _"I'm coming for you Kagome…just wait for me!"_

_

* * *

_Naraku was on top of Kagome now, straddling her waist as she continually tried to fight him off. He was getting irritated with her struggles and held the gun to her head so she would stop.

Kagome instantly froze. Inuyasha didn't know that she was in trouble, and he would most likely wait there forever for her to come. If she didn't show up soon, he'd stay and then the morning shift guards would see him and shoot him down.

"Why were you struggling Kagome? You let that bastard have his way with you. Why can't you let me have some fun with you too?" Naraku's hot breathing nearing her neck, and it made her skin crawl. His disgusting hot breath made her want to throw up.

"Because I let him take me. I wouldn't let a sick bastard like you have me!" Kagome shouted back at him as she punched his face. It worked, because Naraku was instantly off of her. Kagome took this chance to run, but Naraku was too fast for her and grabbed her shirt to pull her back.

He turned her around, grabbed her by the neck, and pinned her against the cabin wall. "How dare you touch me!" he growled out. His hold on her neck was closing in on her air valves tightly. "If you love Inuyasha so much, maybe I should let you suffer and watch him die before your eyes."

Kagome knew Naraku couldn't kill Inuyasha now. He didn't know that Inuyasha was at the gate waiting for her. But then she knew something was wrong when she saw Naraku's eyes wonder to his right. Then she heard his voice…

"Kagome!"

Kagome gasped for air as Naraku's hold on her became tighter and tighter. She didn't want to look but she had to, she didn't want to see Inuyasha here, not right now, but he was. He was running towards her, concern across his face. She saw Naraku smirk and knew what was about to happen.

Suddenly, Naraku released his grip on her neck and began to turn towards Inuyasha. Kagome was refilling her lungs with air when Naraku's voice echoed in her head, _"If you love Inuyasha so much, maybe I should let you suffer and watch him die before your eyes." _

She didn't want to suffer. She didn't want to see Inuyasha die right in front of her. He had a great life, while her life didn't matter. She didn't have a future. She didn't have a future without him, but Inuyasha still had a great future to look forward to.

Everything was moving in slow motion before her eyes. Despite the gun being pointed at Inuyasha's head, he was still running towards her. Naraku's smirk became bigger as he pulled down on the hammer of the gun.

"No! I won't let you hurt him!" Kagome yelled, as she used up her remaining energy to get up in front of the gun and struggled with it as Naraku fought back.

Time stood still after a loud gunshot was heard.

Kagome's time stopped.

_End Flash back_

The bell to the next class rung, but no one made any sign of moving.

Inuyasha almost went too far with his story. He was supposed to tell the students about the experience in battle, not his personal life. He guessed being as old as he made his mind wander with flash backs too much.

All of the boys in the class gained a sudden interest. Inuyasha guessed that the whole adventure of fighting and saving a damsel in distress brought their childhood dreams to life.

All of the ladies in the room had tears in their eyes. Some of them were crying without shame. He couldn't blame them…it was a sad story.

After a silent pause, the teacher, Mr. Ricardo, stood from his seat, he as well being entranced with the story. "Students, I think its time that you leave for your next class before your teachers scold me. Please give a round of applause to Mr. Inuyasha Takahashi for telling us his adventures."

A roar of applause followed by cheers and tears cried out. Inuyasha smiled at the reaction. At first he didn't know what to think about retelling his adventures. He wasn't sure he could handle bringing back all those memories, but he guessed it was worth it in the end. Now the students will have something to learn from.

As everyone began to take their leave, some of them shaking Inuyasha's hand as if he were a famous celebrity, he caught the eye of the boy Ranma. His friend, Akane, was talking with her girlfriends with tears falling from the story, and Inuyasha noticed that Ranma was looking at her the entire time. Akane did the same with him secretly.

* * *

It was the end of school. Inuyasha had stayed back to talk with the history teachers in the lounge. Today was hectic for Inuyasha. Being his age, he couldn't handle all these emotions at once. He could've raised his blood pressure like that.

On the way to his car he heard someone calling his name. He turned around to see none other than the boy Ranma.

"Mr. Takahashi?" Ranma called as he approached the old man.

"Yes? Oh, and just call me Inuyasha. I'm not into the whole formality thing."

"Did you manage to get back Miroku's watch to his fiancée?"

Inuyasha smiled as he recalled what happened. "Yes. When I passed on Miroku's only cherished possession, I told her how much Miroku loved her, and how he didn't mean to leave her the way he did." Inuyasha smirked. "I wish Miroku was there to see it, but as Sango cried. She told me that all along she secretly felt that Miroku would do something like that. Now that I think about it, he really was an idiot in love. Sango managed to see right through him."

"That's good. At least you were able to contact her. I have one more question. Could you…maybe tell me what happened after…after…" Ranma was nervous to ask this question. He was afraid this question would be too personal, but he had to know.

Inuyasha smiled at the young man's interest. "You mean after she was shot?"

He nodded his head.

"It's not really something I would like to say, but I understand why you want to know. That one shot killed her…it went right through her heart. I was furious and began to attack Naraku, but not before I kicked the gun out of his hands. It fell to the ground and we started to fight. When he wasn't looking, I grabbed the gun off the floor and shot him in the head. In my gruesome fury, the demon inside me came out and I over-killed him by shooting his body several times until the gun's barrel was empty. Right after I shot him, a raid came upon Dieppe. Russian soldiers were attacking the Germans and managed to take over Dieppe easily. A lot of us were free…I was free then, and the Russians took us home."

"What about Kagome? Was she suffering?" Ranma questioned more.

"It killed me inside to see her suffer. Each breath she took pained her, because her lungs were filled with blood. I regretted not being there to protect her like I promised her at the gate, but you know what's worse? I didn't even get the chance to let her know that I loved her…"

Ranma didn't understand. "But you two made love together. How could she have not known?"

"Son, in those days, when I was with a woman, it didn't mean anything to me. To Kagome, she might have thought that I loved her, but to me, I wasn't sure that she knew that she was the one and last person I'd ever want to be with. I didn't get married…after that experience. I stayed single ever since, never even looking twice at another woman."

"Oh…" Ranma's eyes were wandering now. Inuyasha had the feeling he knew what the boy was thinking. The way he kept on eyeing the girl Akane, he knew what he was feeling throughout the story.

"Let me give you some advice. Right now, you may think you have all the time in the world to do what you want in life, but when it comes down to wanting to share your life with another, don't take that time for granted. Let her know how you feel." Inuyasha spoke wisely, thinking if he had taken his own advice earlier, he wouldn't feel so much regret after all these years.

"How did you…" Ranma was taken aback. How did Inuyasha know what he was thinking? How did he know that he was having the same problem as he once did?

"Let's just say, we're more alike than you think." Inuyasha brought his cane to his other hand and placed his other hand into his pocket. After grabbing what he was looking for, he pulled out a silver chain with a gold washed ring attached. He took Ranma's hand and put the necklace into his palm.

"What's this?" He asked.

"This…was the necklace that Kagome wore. She gave it to me right before she breathed her last breath," Inuyasha explained. He was giving his last memory of Kagome away.

"No way…I couldn't take this," Ranma argued.

"No please…I don't need it anymore. She's gone, and I know someone else who would need it more than I."

Inuyasha turned to leave after he heard Ranma mutter a thank you. There was hope for him after all.

It was time for Inuyasha to forget about Kagome. It was a sickness to love someone this much, but he was reaching the stage that if he thought about her anymore, he would die on the inside completely. So once he made the decision to pass his last memory of her, the one thing that kept bringing his thoughts to her, to the young boy. He knew that he would be saving another life from the misery he was living in now.

He thought about his last moments with Kagome, the last flash back he would have before he forgot about her completely…

_Flash back_

After pouring out all his anger and hatred for the man that had hurt his lover, he ran to her side.

Turning her over and holding her into his arms, the tears started pouring out. She was still alive, but he already knew she wouldn't be able to make it. A gunshot to the heart was fatal, but she was still hanging on. As much as Inuyasha hated it, he wanted her to let go…he didn't want to see the look of her suffering anymore as she forced herself to take in another breath.

"No…Kagome," he whispered.

"Inu…Inuyasha…please…don't cry," she begged as she shakily brought her hands to touch his face.

"Please Kagome, stop struggling…I can't bear to see you like this anymore," he rasped.

"No, I still have to give you something." With the little strength she had left, she pulled out something from under her blood stained blouse. Inuyasha saw what she was trying to do, and helped pull over her head a silver chain with a gold ring hanging by it. He grasped it tightly and wondered why she was giving it to him.

"This…was my mom's old wedding ring. She gave it to me, to give to the one I want to be with…forever," she said as she gave her last smile before taking her last shallow breaths…

"Kagome I…" What could he say to her? She was basically proposing to him right now, but she was dying in his arms.

"Just remember I will always love you…until the day I die."

_End Flash Back_

* * *

**And end of story…**

So far, this has been my longest and most passionate one-shot ever. I remember it took me a few months to finish, so I really hoped you enjoyed it, especially with all my grammar and plot holes fixed.

I really hoped you listened to the mood music with this story; it really sets the atmosphere for this tragedy.

Thanks for reading =)


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